SUN SHINES ON HALL OF FAME

Black Caviar joined a pantheon of industry superstars when admitted to the Australian Racing Hall of Fame on Thursday night. It wasn’t unexpected.

Just five days earlier, the magic mare had eclipsed the Lightning Stakes – which now carries her name as well – to record her 13^th Group One victory and break a quarter century track record in the process.

23 from 23! Will we ever see her like again? Thing is, 23 could become 24, 25, 26 …

And that’s what – almost – sets her apart from other four legged inductees: she is still racing.

Only one other horse has entered the Hall of Fame while still racing: the mighty mare, Sunline.

So, it was something of a milestone for Eliza Park as the stud not only stands Black Caviar’s sire, Bel Esprit, it also stood Sunline’s sire, Desert Sun (who, in turn, is the damsire of Black Caviar!).

While Bel Esprit, the current leading Australian Sire by winners, has stood his entire stud career at Eliza Park, Desert Sun first arrived in Victoria when Sunline was a 3YO.

The grand old horse left the stage in June last year but both through Sunline and his other daughter, Helsinge (dam of Black Caviar), he has provided Australasian racing with a unique legacy.

The late, great Desert Sun